


Don't Let Go Of Me

by MyHeartCanDream



Category: Doctor Who
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-02-03
Updated: 2013-02-03
Packaged: 2017-11-28 01:07:35
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,269
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/668520
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MyHeartCanDream/pseuds/MyHeartCanDream
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>All hell broke loose.<br/>The water erupted with soldiers in black suits and eye patches. More men came out of the trees and they were quickly surrounded before they could react. They were on a mission to find something.<br/>Her.<br/>She screamed as one soldier knocked him over the head and four others held her back, pulling her with them back into the trees.<br/>She fought with all her strength.<br/>"DOCTOR! DOCTOR! HELP!"</p>
            </blockquote>





	Don't Let Go Of Me

**Author's Note:**

> An old one. I've gone through and fixed a few grammar and punctuation errors, but nothing major (:

The sun was setting as they strolled down the beach, hand in hand.

He stopped walking and pulled her in to kiss her.

Their lips met in a soft, heated fire of passion.

Her arms wrapped around his neck and his around her slender waist.

Then, all hell broke loose.

The water erupted with soldiers in black suits and eye patches. More men came out of the trees and they were quickly surrounded before they could react. They were on a mission to find something.

Her.

She screamed as one soldier knocked him over the head and four others held her back, pulling her with them back into the trees.

She fought with all her strength.

"DOCTOR! DOCTOR! HELP!"

* * *

The Doctor awoke alone lying on the sand with a throbbing headache.

Faintly he could hear someone yelling.

"Doctor! Doctor! Please!"

"RIVER!"

He jumped to his feet and raced into the forest after the sounds of his frightened wife.

There was a bang and then silence.

He could no longer hear her screams.

He had no way to find her.

Panic swelling in his chest, the Doctor turned back the way he had come and ran faster than he had ever run before.

Back to the TARDIS.

"Hold on, River. I'm coming for you!"

* * *

River was forced into a cold metal chair and strapped in, roughly.

Her captors then retreated, leaving only two to guard the entrance to the room.

She looked around, trying to think of some way this could be a dream.

Nothing.

She heard footsteps approaching the room.

The same footsteps that haunted her nightmares.

Fear filled her, nearly causing her to stop breathing as the woman in black entered the room.

"Well, well, well. If it isn't Melody Pond." the woman spat.

River said nothing, just glared up at her.

This woman was responsible for years of torture and brainwashing.

Kovarian.

"You there, take off her restraints. Leave us. I need to have a little chat with my dear daughter."

River burst into laughter.

"Daughter? I hardly think kidnapping and torturing an infant throughout her entire life is grounds for that sort of claim. I have a mother. And she's not you." she spat, massaging her chaffed wrists as the guards retreated, closing the door behind them.

That made Kovarian angry.

A slap rang echoed through the room and River tumbled out of the chair and onto the floor.

"You dare to speak to me that way?"

She said nothing, wiping the blood off her face and standing.

Kovarian watched her for a moment, expecting a reply but not getting one.

"You know, Melody, you're not playing your cards very well. It's not wise to be an enemy of the Silence."

River huffed, "Better than being one of them. What do you want?"

She smiled, wickedly.

"An answer."

River raised an eyebrow.

"Where is the fob watch?"

River was confused.

"Sorry, what?"

"The Doctor's fob watch. Where. Is. It." she repeated, threateningly.

River shook her head.

"I have no idea." she leaned forward, staring Kovarian in the eyes, "And even if I did, I wouldn't tell you."

Kovarian looked amused.

"Alright then, you leave me no choice."

She turned on her heels and approached an intercom on the wall.

"Send him in." she said into the mic.

River's gut clenched. She knew who was coming. The torturer. The man who had done numberless unmentionable things to her growing up.

The door opened and he entered.

He was huge, with enormous muscles and a sneer of pure evil. There was not a caring bone in his body. He would show no mercy.

When his gaze met hers, he grinned.

"'ello, there. Been a long time, then, 'asn't it?" His voice was deep and mean. He wasn't glad to see her for old time's sake, this man lived for one thing only; hurting people. All he was glad for was the chance to beat someone today.

Kovarian smiled and laughed at the fear in River's eyes.

"Just get me answers. No half-way jobs. I don't want the Doctor. I want the watch. You have four hours."

River forced herself not to start shaking. He was going to kill her.

"If she knows anything, she'll tell me." he said menacingly, beginning to walk towards her.

"Ta, Melody! I never had the stomach for this sort of thing...Oh well. I'm sure you two will have a lovely time." Kovarian said cheerfully as she walked out the door, shutting out the world.

* * *

"Come on, Sexy! Find her! Find her! They have her! They're going to hurt her!"

The Doctor was flying about the console, trying everything he could think of that might help him find River.

The TARDIS groaned and wheezed as she worked as well.

She loved her River.

A dinging noise sounded and the Doctor shouted in triumph.

"Ah ha! We've got her! Come on. Let's get her!"

"Doctor? What are you doing? Where are we going?"

"Amy! Rory! Oh, dear. I nearly forgot you were still here...Um...Well, I don't really have time to explain right now so," he threw a lever and the TARDIS materialized outside their home in Leadworth, "Off you go."

"We're not going anywhere." Amy said, crossing her arms stubbornly.

The panicked state the Doctor was in caused him to immediately resort to anger.

"Amelia Pond, you get out of this ship right now. I don't have time for arguments. People are dying and you two need to go. Now." he ordered. "NOW."

Amy looked genuinely frightened of him for a moment.

Without another word, they both walked out the door and the Doctor sent the TARDIS back into the vortex, tracing the signal of his River.

* * *

River crashed to the ground again, crying out in pain as she hit the cement floor hard.

"I'm not goin' ta be nice. You best tell me where it's at."

River scooted away from him. They had been at this for about an hour. She was bleeding from multiple deep cuts and she had bruises everywhere.

Her body ached and all she wanted to do was cry.

"I told you, I don't know where it is. I've never even seen it before."

He angrily stalked up to her and grabbed her by the collar of her shirt, lifting her off the ground and slamming her roughly into the wall, causing her to gasp as the wind was knocked from her lungs.

"Some'ow I don' believe you. I wonder why that could be..." he said quietly, inches from her face.

Suddenly, he whipped her around and threw her into the metal chair.

"I ain't playin' nice no more, poppet."

River was dying inside. There was so much pain already. She didn't think she could handle much worse of a beating than he had already given her.

Maybe if he was angry enough, he'd make a mistake...

She thought quickly.

"Yeah? Well I suppose your mum taught you how to do that? What is she, then? A wanted criminal? Or has she already had her head loped off for the way she taught you to treat people?" River threw at him.

His eyes darkened. It was working.

"You leave me mum out o' this. You'll be regrettin' those words sooner than you think."

"No, I don't think I will. Because it's probably the truth. Was she a drunk?"

He'd had enough.

He shouted and threw her to the ground, more forcefully than ever before, nearly causing her to go unconscious.

Then came the beating.

He kicked her over and over until she had been backed into the corner, forced to tears at the pain. The man pulled his razor strap off his belt.

"No one talks about me mum that way." he snarled as he raised it.

* * *

The TARDIS landed in the middle of a hallway.

The Doctor stepped out and pulled out his sonic, immediately scanning for River.

Finding her signal, he raced off through the maze of corridors.

* * *

River pulled herself across the floor and behind the chair, desperately trying to get away from him. She could feel the blood soaked rips in the fabric of her shirt where the strap had met her skin, cutting deep gashes.

"There's nowhere for you ta run. You'll tell me where it is. And you'll pay for talkin' bad about my mum, you little..."

River saw an opening and took it. She executed a perfect leg sweep, knocking him to the floor.

Instantly she was on top of him, wrestling the strap out of his hands and then leaping away as his fists began flying.

Her blood was all over the room.

She staggered to the door and desperately tried to open it as he started to his feet, even more angry.

He'd try to get the razor strap back from her. She'd pay for taking it away from him if he ever got it. She looked for a place to put it out of his reach.

There! The light fixture.

Aiming quickly and carefully, she tossed it up into the air, landing it safely into the light cover over 15 feet above their heads.

He glared fiercely at her and she backed her way around the perimeter of the room.

She had no way out.

He ran at her and scooped her below her middle, flinging her the length of the room before she even had time to catch her breath.

She gasped and tried to get up, knowing far worse would happen if he got her while she was still on the ground.

River managed to make it to her hands and knees when it hit.

Excruciating pain erupted through her body, like someone had stuck in several corkscrews and then twisted them all over her in her abdomen.

She cried out, collapsing and letting tears fall, wrapping her arms around her midsection. She rolled around on the floor in agony. When she opened her eyes, she was surprised and confused to see him still on the other side of the room.

If he was over there, what had caused this pain?

_Oh, God, no._

She didn't have much time to think about it. He quickly snapped out of his confusion and started towards her again, convinced she was faking.

She felt his foot on her throat, pressing down until she could barely breath.

* * *

The end of the hallway!

The door wasn't guarded. Something was terribly wrong.

River was in there, alright. But wouldn't they keep her under more security?

Unless...

The Doctor's eyes widened as he opened the door and took in the room.

There was blood everywhere.

River was on the floor, bleeding and obviously in agony.

A large man was standing over her, angrily, with a foot on her throat.

"OI!" the Doctor shouted, blood boiling. "Get the HELL away from my wife!"

The man looked up at him and laughed, taking his foot off her throat and then, to ensure she wouldn't be messing around, he slammed his foot into her stomach.

River cried out again and rolled into a ball, tears poured down her face.

"No! Doctor, go! Please just...just..." River coughed severely. "Just get out of here! Quickly before..."

That was the end of what she could say. The man grabbed her by the hair and pulled her to her feet. 

River squeeked. Her scalp was holding most of her weight. She tried to support herself with her feet but she could barely even stand.

"I don' know 'bout you, miss, but I'm nearly sure the gentleman was addressin' me, not you. Shove off." he snarled before tossing her into the chair behind him.

River struggled to stay conscious. She hurt so badly. She knew she'd lost a lot of blood. Evidence of that was all over the room. Drag marks, splatters...it was a mess. She could only imagine what she looked like.

The Doctor watched her, his eyes asking her if she would be fine until they could get out.

River shut her eyes and gave him a slight nod.

Then, he rounded on the man.

"Just who do you think you are?"

"Who am I, he says! You're pretty thick, you know tha'? I'm the 'Igh Lady's muscle man." He laughed. "I'm doin' my job. Now, if you don' mind, I'd best be back to my work."

He pulled a gun and pointed it at the Doctor.

River knew what was coming next. With barely enough time to react, she gathered her strength and leaped at the man, knocking the gun from his grasp and causing him to misfire before she crashed to the ground, groaning and rolling onto her side.

"River?" the Doctor said.

"Shut up. Just stay alive, you idiot." she said pulling herself up with one hand, the other wrapped around her stomach.

The man was recovering from the shock of River's attack quickly and eyed the gun.

They all raced for it.

River and the man reached the it an instant before the Doctor. They all wrestled on the floor for it. It was in all of their hands. The man had it, River was on top of him, hands over his, and the Doctor on her, hands also on the gun.

They wrestled for a few seconds.

A shot fired and they all froze.

The Doctor couldn't determine who pulled the trigger or who was shot.

Slowly, he lifted himself off of River and checked himself.

Nothing.

Then, knowing River was already in a great deal of pain, he carefully placed a hand on each shoulder.

She flinched but accepted his help and crawled off the man. There was a blood pool on the ground under him.

The Doctor kicked the gun to the other side of the room and then inspected the man.

There was something off...something completely obvious that he was missing, he could feel it.

He realized what it was in the same instant River collapsed.

The bullet hole was on the wrong side.

"RIVER! NO!"

He flipped her over, gently.

There.

The bullet had gone strait through the man and lodged itself in River's abdomen.

The Doctor shook with rage and agony as he gathered her into his arms.

"River. River, can you hear me?" he said softly.

She made a little noise in reply, barely audible.

"River you've got to hold on. You're going to be fine. I am so sorry, love...I'm so sorry. I love you so much, River..." the Doctor was sobbing into her hair as he held her.

"Doctor?" she said, faintly.

"Yes?"

Her eye's teared up.

"I love you, too. I didn't mean for this to happen. I'm sorry..."

"You're an angel. You did nothing wrong, my love. You're going to be alright." he comforted, fully aware he was not actually certain she would be okay.

"Doctor, before..." Her voice was barely a whisper and her breaths were shallow as she tried to suck in air to speak. "Well...I..."

Suddenly she cried out an curled into a ball on her side, holding her stomach as if someone was trying to carve it out.

"River?" the Doctor brushed a stray curl out of her face and stroked her hair as she convulsed. "River?! What's happened?"

"He...I..." her breaths were shallow and she stopped a minute to take in air.

"River..."

"I...I'm so sorry.." she began sobbing into her hands.

"River tell me what it is..." he demanded, worried about her.

Another pain wave hit and she groaned in agony and pressed her face into his shirt.

Still tucked into his chest and crying, she said two words that changed his life.

 

"The...baby..."

Time stopped.

"What? You're pregnant?" The Doctor nearly choked, even more worried than before.

River shook her head, still crying. He understood.

 

Pain seared his hearts as he wrapped his mind around her confession. She had been pregnant. She  _had been_.

The Doctor pushed the gut wrenching pain of it out of his mind and forced himself to focus on River. He looked around the room at all the blood, then down at his wife, covered in blood, cuts, and bruises. Was it safe to move her?

She started to have a coughing fit. As she pulled her hand away from her mouth, it was covered in more blood.

"I'm so sorry, my love..." she started sobbing again.

It was dripping out the sides of her mouth and her eyes began to droop. She was becoming weaker.

He realized this was the moment. She was going to die here. Quickly and gently, he picked her up in his arms and rushed out of the room, back towards the TARDIS.

Just as he reached it, alarms began sounding. They must have found the dead man in the room.

He snapped his fingers and entered, snapping the doors shut again behind him as he rushed River to the couch.

He raced around the console, throwing levers and pressing buttons, even putting on the stabilizers and taking off the brakes, for River's sake.

As they disappeared into the vortex, the Doctor returned to River's side.

She was fading quickly.

He picked her up and carried her into the sickbay, laying her on one of the beds and pulling out his sonic.

"Computer! For Chen's sake HURRY UP!"

The screen at River's side turned on and began to scan River, assessing her injuries.

As the list of severe injuries on the screen got longer and longer, the Doctor began to cry.

"Oh, River. How could I have let this happen to you?"

She reached for his hand and gave it a squeeze.

"It's not your fault, love. Hush, now..."

 

He held his breath as the computer finished up.

"Computer scan complete. Repairs may not succeed. Do you wish to begin repairs?" the computer announced.

"YES!" he all but shouted, desperate.

"No." 

Her whisper was almost inaudible.

 

"Do you wish to begin repairs?" the computer said again, having received contradicting commands.

 

He looked at her, shocked.

 

"River, you're dying. Please...I need you here. I --" he choked, tears running down his cheeks.

 

"You don't need me, sweetie. I can't keep running like -- like this." she said, gesturing to her condition before collapsing into another fit of blood producing coughs. When she could breath again, she shut her eyes and whispered, "Please, just let me go."

 

"I  _can't_ , River. Don't you  _dare_  ask me to do something like that.  _Don't you dare!"_  


He stood and ran his hands through his hair.

 

"You're my wife, my companion forever.  _Do you hear me? Forever._  And I am certainly  _not_  going to change the definition of that word just because you've given up your fighting spirit for a moment. I love you." his words were sincere and firm. There was no way he was letting her die today.  _No way._  


River had shut her eyes again.

"Do you wish to begin repairs?"

 

He paused for a moment to watch her before threatening, "Yes. Begin repairs. And if you don't bloody fix her well again, I'm taking you back to the agency."

 

The Doctor plopped down on the chair and brushed her bloody cheek with his thumb.

 

Maybe she would be cross with him when she woke up, but he would take a cross River over no River  _any_  day.

Oh, the adventures they had.

Every day was new and amazing.

Every day was exciting and dangerous.

Some days no one was harmed.

Some days someone died.

But one thing was for sure.

No matter what the day brought, every day they had each other.


End file.
